Museum of Yugoslavia

Museum of Yugoslavia

Apart from its name, the Museum of Yugoslavia is not a typical historical museum, not only due to the way it was founded, but also because of its still current model of organization. The creation and the organization of the Museum of Yugoslavia – previously the Museum of Yugoslav History during the previous decades make it an unique and truly special cultural institution. The Museum of Yugoslavia Belgrade provides visitors outstanding opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of Yugoslavia, President Tito and peoples of Yugoslavia.

The very core of the Museum of Yugoslavia in Belgrade is founded in 1962 when the quality, quantity, material and emotional value of the gifts given to Tito – the ex-lifetime president of Yugoslavia, not only by his compatriots, but also by many world leaders, made inevitable creation of such a space, which would provide the keeping and categorization of such items and objects. After the death of Tito, The Museum 25th May \”25. Maj, official Youth Day in Socialism\” was merged with the “House of Flowers”, the Residence, The Pool House, The Hunting Lodge, The Old Museum and later the Memorial Collection and the whole complex, together with the tomb of Josip Broz, was named “The Memorial Center Josip Broz Tito”. House of flowers, where Tito at his own request was buried in the former winter garden is an integral part of the memorial center near all important stations in Belgrade of Tito’s history. The Mausoleum “House of flowers” is the mausoleum of the leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito who died on 4 May 1980. The Mausoleum was built in 1975 on the basis of the project of architect Josip Kralj. Nearby is the White Palace compound, where Tito received the highest international statesmen who presented him many ceremonial presents and objects.

Over 200.000 items and objects were categorized into 20 collections of the Museum of the Yugoslavia, enabling the visitors to grasp the essence of the material and spiritual culture of the republics of former Yugoslavia, from the oldest ones to the second half of the twentieth century, but also to see extremely valuable gifts from many countries of the world. Merging with The Museum of the Revolution, the Museum of Yugoslavia in Belgrade got its present name, and its mission was supposed to be the gathering and joining of works of art and the archive build with the aim of rounding up the historical period of Yugoslavia, where the gifts from other parts of the world would represent, beside their material and aesthetic value, the reputation and the importance Yugoslavia held in the period of the bipolar world.

However, the moving of Slobodan Milosevic and his family into one part of the Museum complex stopped for a while the work on the creation of a complex Museum of Yugoslavia. The existence of Museum of Yugoslavia is even more evident and important today, when Yugoslavia ceased to exist. Nevertheless, that rupture never stopped the people working in the Museum of Yugoslavia to dedicate themselves, despite the difficulties, to the very much alive and active creation of exhibitions. The doors of the Gallery at Nikole Pasic Square and “25th May” which are parts of the Museum of the Yugoslavia are open not only to numerous visitors, domestic but also to the foreign exhibitors, and both spaces are also used for thematic exhibitions from the rich collection of the Museum, all very well attended and with considerable impact on the cultural life of Belgrade. The Museum of Yugoslavia has developed fruitful relationships with numerous foreign museums and with representatives of the embassies in Belgrade as well, who find it to be an active and open partner in the field of culture and art. The Museum of the Yugoslavia Belgrade is for years one of the most frequented museums in Serbia.